Preparing for Pulleys

Tues 26th Sept

Once again off to Broadway today.
We have now taken delivery of four lengths of 9" C-channel which will be used to mount the steel plates which will carry the pulleys and angle cranks coming out of the signal box tunnel --  ALSO a plate is also needed opposite the tunnel at the base of platform 1 to carry the pulleys that will direct the signal wires northwards and to the wooden signal post at the south end of platform 1.
Here we have the channels loaded to deliver to Broadway. Quite substantial lumps - should keep everything rigid !

So, one of our objectives today was to mark out the position for a concrete base along the wall of platform 1 and prepare some shuttering for a concrete block. First of all we dug out the old ballast over a 16 foot length (enough width to cover wires coming from the levers at the ends of the lever frame - and of a width to clear the ends of the sleepers which will appear in the not too distant future).
In doing this now it will avoid us having to dig through another 18" of fresh ballast

Jim P did most of the hard work. Breaking up an shovelling compacted ballast keeps you fit!

We used platform 2 as a workshop to cut up some old 15mm plywood and prepare the shuttering

Then positioned it in the trench.

The height of the  the concrete has been measured from the top surface of the platform allowing for a bit of adjustment when we set the C- channel in the concrete. There will be 4 short lengths of this at right angles to the platform wall on which two steel sheets will be fixed. We hope to do the concreting next week.

Meanwhile down in the bowels of the Locking Room Malcolm and John P have been carrying on with the fitting of the electric locks. Each lock has to be clamped in position to make sure that all the bars and couplings move freely - then mark through the back plate for drilling and bolting.

All 16 are now mounted , but a bit more adjustment and drilling required next week on the last one.

Beginning to look the business but a lot more work still required in the locking trays above (and we haven't even mentioned electrical wiring and cabling yet!)

Curly